Speculation: Free Agent/Trade Thread: 2015 Free Agency Looming and Trade Speculation

[mikebel111*]

I have a feeling, if Burke was the GM he'd reallly try to do it too.

Bennet,
and 2 2nds. sold.

Sign me up.
About Burke, as much as I like him, I dont think Flames fans should feel 100% comfortable with him there even if he is not the GM.
Just my opinion, he could ruin everything they have going there because Burke's ego can get the best of him

 

[burpsalot]

I have a feeling, if Burke was the GM he'd reallly try to do it too.

Bennet,
and 2 2nds. sold.

Yea!!

Well if by aggressive they mean buying cheap guys on one-year deal sure.

Then when the Leafs buy cheap UFA's the media will start *****ing & saying what happened to being "aggressive"? A "source" (meaning another reporter or HF poster), told them they would be aggressive.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Sign me up.
About Burke, as much as I like him, I dont think Flames fans should feel 100% comfortable with him there even if he is not the GM.
Just my opinion, he could ruin everything they have going there because Burke's ego can get the best of him

well I think my opinion is very clear on Burke. but this is not the thread for it.

but seriously, I would accept a bad contract, 2 2nds and Bennett.
if there is something that is similar/close to that, i'm all ears.

 

[Sonofamitch]

There would be a much better return retaining that $2.1m against Kessel or Phaneuf's salaries. Boz is not really overpaid or over-termed and his best case value is not that high. I think there would be a lineup of teams for Kessel at $5.9 though.

Their deals are far too long to retain any significant salary. I don't wanna strap thus team with dead cap for the next 6 years. I was under the impression Bozak had a couple years left and am more comfortable retaining salary on short term deals to maximize return. We won't be contending in 3 years. That's the longest I'd retain money for or acquire a cap dump for.

 

[Trapper]

well I think my opinion is very clear on Burke. but this is not the thread for it.

but seriously, I would accept a bad contract, 2 2nds and Bennett.
if there is something that is similar/close to that, i'm all ears.

I would trade Kessel straight up for Bennett.
I would trade Kessel straight up for Sam Reinhart.

Unfortunately, I believe neither will happen.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I would trade Kessel straight up for Bennett.
I would trade Kessel straight up for Sam Reinhart.

Unfortunately, I believe neither will happen.

I know.
dammnit.

 

[hockeywiz542]

fort lauderdale, fla. – one of the penguins’ free agency targets has emerged: Michael frolik, a right winger who most recently played for the jets, is a player of significant interest to jim rutherford and his staff, multiple sources confirmed sunday.

the penguins like that frolik is a dependable two-way player. They also like that he likely won’t break the bank. He won’t come cheap — presumably a modest raise from last season’s $3.3 million cap hit — but compared to the rest of the free agency crop, the penguins believe dealing with him will be reasonable.

The penguins aren’t expected to seek at least one of the biggest names on the market: Matt beleskey, who enjoyed a breakout season with the ducks, is a left wing and will be a hot commodity. A little too hot, if you ask the penguins. While the penguins like beleskey, they’ve been told he will be seeking something in the neighborhood of $6 million per season. They aren’t interested at that price.

Frolik, however, interests them in the short and long terms.

The only penguins currently looking like locks for the top two lines are sidney crosby, evgeni malkin, patric hornqvist and david perron. Should chris kunitz remain on the team next fall, he’ll very possibly find himself in a third-line role with pascal dupuis as the other winger. That leaves two spots available. the penguins would prefer to make a significant trade — they remain interested in phil kessel, if the maple leafs will ease the penguins’ salary burden — and will continue to look for a star winger that way.

 

[namttebih]

Vanek + Brodin
For
Kessel + Polak

My reasoning is that I truly believe that Brodin has higher value than Kessel at this point. 21 year old top pairing defenceman locked up for the next 6 years at $4.2M. So, we clear Vanek off of their books and flip him at the TD.

 

[Trapper]

I know.
dammnit.

Time to get to work on the 2016 draft.
We know the prize is Matthews.
We know the lottery changes for spots 1,2,3.
Chychrun is the Eichel consolation prize.
Where do the Leafs finish? I'm not sure.
Also acquiring another 1st round pick for Kessel is key. It would most likely be a mid to late pick.
Another London Knight is rated middle of the draft. Matthew Tkachuk.
We might get an excellent opportunity to see the skill and chemistry on a line with Marner this year.

 

[Daisy Jane]

thread is full - let's fill a new one:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?p=104473637#post104473637

 

[hockeywiz542]

According to the Toronto Sun, the Toronto Maple Leafs will take a patient approach toward free agency.

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/28/leafs-look-to-take-patient-approach-to-free-agency

The arrival of Canada Day used to be the signal flare for Toronto and other NHL teams to open their wallets and try to buy their way to a Stanley Cup. Before the rules changed, the first bursts might have come as early as 12:01 a.m. with multi-year deals magically appearing.

But the UFA date became DOA for the Leafs as a succession of management groups showed themselves too cautious or too eager to flash cash. It was Brian Burke who famously said that GMs make more mistakes July 1 than any other date on the calendar. Two other factors made it a non-event in Toronto: The salary cap and the reluctance of top names to take the grief that came with a non-contending team and its impatient fan base.

David Clarkson, now in Columbus after his seven-year, $36.75-million deal exploded in Dave Nonis’ face, might be the last one the Leafs attermpt for a long time.

Which brings us to Wednesday, where a number of players will be available should Toronto attempt to nudge its rebuild along a step quicker.

“We’ll be active, but we might have a different set of targets than other teams,†Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said as the NHL draft wrapped up Saturday, “But I don’t know if we’ll be the headline stealers.â€

Shanahan then caught himself.

“We’re Toronto, so somehow there’ll be headlines,†he said with a laugh. “So let me re-phrase that, I don’t think we’ll shake the hockey world.â€

The Leafs went from the draft right into team meetings that will concentrate on free agency and how it will affect their own roster. They have about $16.5 million US in cap space to play with at this stage.

Forwards David Booth, Zach Sill, Trevor Smith and Marlies defenceman Andrew MacWilliam are useful parts who will be without contracts on Wednesday. But there are is one notable restricted free agent to be settled at some point this summer: Centre Nazem Kadri. The club has taken goaltender Jonathan Bernier to salary arbitration, a move that guarantees he’ll be back at least for 2015-16 with a chance for more if he excels.

There were reports in Florida that the club is close to a deal with RFA forward Richard Panik.

 

[nuck]

Their deals are far too long to retain any significant salary. I don't wanna strap thus team with dead cap for the next 6 years. I was under the impression Bozak had a couple years left and am more comfortable retaining salary on short term deals to maximize return. We won't be contending in 3 years. That's the longest I'd retain money for or acquire a cap dump for.

Is $2-3m really strapping the club? The cap will be between $75m and $80m in 3-4 years. In 2012 the Leafs had $17m tied up in the salaries of Komi, Lombardi, Armstrong, Liles and Connolly and I think the cap was $64.3m that year. Bad FA signings are what they need to avoid most. Plus they need to quit signing players to career ending contracts the year before they want to trade them too. There is a cost attached to those sorts of errors.